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The Junction BIA Marks 50 Years with Public Realm Updates to Attract Consumers and Retailers [Interview]

By
Shelby Hautala
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The Junction BIA (Image: Jae Yang Photography)

The Junction BIA in Toronto will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in January, and it has a lot to celebrate. Many new developments are underway in the area, and the BIA has added 40 new businesses in the past two years. In addition, it will be the first neighbourhood in Toronto to install solar-powered phone charging stations in the spring. 

The Junction BIA neighbourhood is located along Dundas Street West at Keele Street, east to Indian Grove and west to Quebec Avenue – and is known as one of the coolest and art-centric neighbourhoods in Toronto.

“The Junction BIA is a community-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the economic and cultural vitality of the Junction. We provide a beautiful and safe space where the local business community can flourish as part of a robust neighbourhood. Building on the area’s history as the original commercial strip for the West Toronto railway connection, the Junction is Toronto’s favourite meeting place,” says Carol Jolly, the BIA’s Executive Director. 

Image: City of Toronto
The Junction BIA (Image: Jae Yang Photography)
Future Ren’s Pets in The Junction

Over the past two years, The Junction has added 40 new businesses, which include 15 retail shops, 14 services, and 11 restaurants. In total, the BIA represents over 175 businesses. One company Jolly is excited about bringing to the Junction is Ren’s Pets, a Canadian specialty pet retailer, which will be opening in January 2023. Retail Insider first reported this news in May 2022.

“Ren’s Pets will be our most significant national brand, and we are delighted they’re making the Junction their new home! Research indicated that we have more pet owners than any other community in Toronto. So getting Ren’s Pets is a win for the area. Even before opening, they have already shown their outstanding community support, and it’s always a good sign when a national brand chooses you for its next location.”

Carol Jolly

The Junction has other national brands such as banks, A&W, Dominos, Dollarama, and they have provincial retailers, like the LCBO and Wine Rack. One business Jolly mentioned that just recently opened in The Junction was Swat Health, an education-first health and wellness company with multiple locations in the GTA. Overall, The Junction aims to have a bit of everything – making the area accessible and easy for everyone to find what they need close to home. 

“The Junction has evolved to provide a mixture of goods and services to patrons who frequent the area. We are fortunate to have bars, restaurants, and music venues providing robust nightlife, particularly in the summer during CaféTO when we spill out onto the street with almost 40 additional patios! We have retailers offering everything from eyewear to clothing to furniture and art supplies. At the same time, we have numerous services and amenities such as pharmacies, health clinics, grocery & pet stores, and salons benefiting the residents. The Junction has evolved to cater to a diverse population, residents, and day trippers – and we only see this continuing.” 

Increasing Traffic To The Area With New Developments 

Pacific Residences at 2968 Dundas Street W (Designed by Core Architects for Clifton Blake Group & Old Stonehenge Development Corporation)
Junction House at 2720 Dundas St W (superkül for Slate Asset Management)

During the pandemic, The Junction lost more than 50 percent of traffic and is slowly returning to normal.

The Junction BIA has several developments underway, with commercial spaces on the lower level for retail stores, and restaurants – all due to open in the next five years. Jolly said she is hopeful it will draw more of the national brands to The Junction and help to increase foot traffic.

Window Wonderland 

  • Image: Junction BIA Social Media
  • Image: Junction BIA Social Media
  • Image: Junction BIA Social Media

When traffic was low during the pandemic, the BIA created Window Wonderland – an event that takes place for five weeks once a year. This event is happening now and will be going until January 1st. 

“This is the first of its kind in Toronto, Window Wonderland is presented in collaboration with Artivive, an internationally renowned AR app that changes how art is created and consumed. Providing access to over 200,000 international artists, Artivive allows artists to create new dimensions with a digital layer, opening a new world of possibilities. Visitors at Window Wonderland can simply point their smartphones at the artwork on the windows and wall murals, and can watch the artist’s creation come to life.”

Since the winter season of 2020, The BIA has placed art on twenty different businesses annually, bringing people right to the retail store windows. The Junction is becoming a new destination for AR in the city and will continue to grow. By adding more art to The Junction, Jolly said it will also lessen graffiti in the area while attracting new visitors and new businesses.  

  • Image: Junction BIA Social Media
  • Image: Junction BIA Social Media
  • Image: Junction BIA Social Media

Pop-Up Music Series 

In 2023, The Junction BIA will also be adding a new pop-up music series project, which was awarded by City of Toronto’s Main Street Innovation Grant – this is the second such grant awarded to the BIA. The pop-up music series will occur from June to September and has partnered with Nova’s Junction Revue to provide 18 free performances and one outdoor concert. 

“The project will embrace the popular concept of pop-up shops by featuring the many retail and service businesses in the Junction. It will attract residents, tourists, and live music enthusiasts to the Junction by safely integrating live music experiences into various retail locations. People can view and possibly purchase products – and it is the first step in showing business owners the value in creating their own shopping experience.” 

Solar Power Phone Charging Stations 

Along with the BIA’s streetscaping plan of renewing all the benches in the neighbourhood, Jolly said the BIA will also be adding solar power phone charging stations and will be the first in Toronto to have them. The solar charging stations will allow people to charge their phones on the street and will be a permanent part of the neighbourhood. The six new charging stations are ready to roll out in the Spring and have been pre-approved by the city. 

“It is our 50th Anniversary, and we wanted to start the year by greeting visitors in a big way. So, in addition to our 24 new award-winning Butterfly Gardens, we will replace every bench in the neighbourhood. In partnership with the city, this is a major capital investment in our streetscape, and these beautiful new benches will create a striking addition to the neighbourhood. We will also be the first to use solar-powered charging stations in Toronto, which is very exciting. In a sense, we’re thought leaders here at the BIA. For example, we integrated AR with our holiday window art, then added it as a year-round element in our murals. The Junction has many unique offerings, and we’re sure you will discover something different every time you visit.”

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Video Interview: Staples Professional Discusses The Future Of Work

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Video Interview: Are You Ready For The Future Of Work In Canada?

Michelle Micuda, President, Staples Professional, discusses a recent Future of Work Trend Report and its findings.

Micuda talks about flexibility in the workplace, productivity of people going back to work, home office setups, and incentives to luring people back to work in an office.

The full report can be found here: https://www.angusreid.com/intelligence/staplesfow/

Youtube video

The Video Interview Series by Retail Insider is available on YouTube.

Connect with Mario Toneguzzi, a veteran of the media industry for more than 40 years and named in 2021 a Top Ten Business Journalist in the world and the only Canadian – to learn how you can tell your story, share your message and amplify it to a wide audience. He is Senior News Editor with Retail Insider and owner of Mario Toneguzzi Communications Inc. and can be reached at mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.

Interviewed this episode:

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Also check out the other series offered by Retail Insider, including The Weekly podcast and The Interview Series, which are both available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Podcasts, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Simplecast and other podcast players.

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Kinton Ramen Targets National Expansion in Canada [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Kinton Ramen

Kinton Ramen, one of the first Japanese ramen restaurants in Toronto, is in expansion mode with the opening soon of its latest offering in Liberty Village as it looks to grow nationally and internationally.

The brand opened its first location in May 2012 in Toronto.

It is owned by the Kinka Family, which also operates Kinka Izakaya, JaBistro, Kintori Yakitori and NEO Coffee Bar. 

Sari Samarah, President & CEO, Broker of Record, of Value Insight Realty Inc., Brokerage, said the real estate company is seeking additional sites for the popular brand.

Image: Kinton Ramen

Samarah has worked with the CEO of Kinton Ramen from the first store that opened. 

Sari Samarah

“I am proud to be the exclusive broker for Kinton Ramen, the largest Japanese restaurant group in Canada, since its inception in 2009. I also did work as an executive for the company in 2020 for two years (as VP of Business Development) before going back into the brokerage business so I understand what’s drives the success of our restaurants. 

The Kinka Family has more than 40 locations with all its brands. 

Image: Kinton Ramen

Kinton Ramen will open its Liberty Village location this coming winter.

“It’s about 1,800 square feet and it’s an area with a lot of density, good evening traffic, lunch traffic. And we are not served in that area,” said Samarah. “We’re expanding all over Canada in Vancouver and Quebec, Montreal as well as Ontario. We’re opening stores this winter in Vancouver, Montreal and in Ontario, we’re opening stores in Newmarket, Kingston and Oakville. 

“Ramen is a very sought after item that has now become more of a staple similar to pizza, burgers and shawarma. Ramen has now entered that mix as a popular food item that is very widely recognized. College students grew up eating ramen from a bag and hot water, and Kinton Ramen is the authentic Japanese style ramen that everyone’s been yearning for. It’s a great experience for individuals, couples and families and enough flavours to satisfy any palate. It’s hot in the winter time and comforting when you’re sick.”

Image: Kinton Ramen
Image: Kinton Ramen

“We also have a few stores in the US. Two in Chicago in the West Loop and Wicker Park and one in New York at Woodbury Commons.”

He said the brand is looking for spaces between 1,500 to 2,500 square feet in areas of high density with good lunch and good dinner traffic. The brand is also looking for food court of quick service opportunties in 400-1200 square feet.

“We are continuing to expand in the downtown core for the right opportunities. On the whole west side of Toronto, the Liberty Village site is the only site we have west of Bathurst and other than Bloor West Village and Korea Town. We’re now also entering the suburban markets such as Scarborough, Markham and Mississauga where in the past we’ve been more focused on the urban street fronts. We’re going to other markets outside of such as Vaughan, Brampton, Richmond Hill, Burlington, Hamilton, London, Cambridge, Windsor, Kitchener, Whitby, Ajax, Markham. 

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web For December 16th, 2022

By
Retail Insider
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Canadian Retail News From Around The Web

News at a Glance

Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.

Amazon Canada Releases Impact Report for 2022 Showing it’s An Engine of Growth for the Economy [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Image: Amazon Canada

Amazon Canada Is continuing to grow its presence in Canada and has become an engine of growth for the Canadian economy as well.

In its 2022 Amazon Canada Impact Report, the e-commerce giant has outlined how it uses its scale, technology, resources and passion to generate economic benefits and technology in the country:

  • Amazon has grown to more than 69 facilities across Canada, including Tech Hubs, corporate offices, fulfilment centres, sortation centres and delivery stations;
  • There are now more than 600 Amazon Pickup Points in Canada, in provinces including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia;
  • There are more than 40,000 full and part-time employes;
  • The company has two tech hubs in Vancouver and Toronto;
  • There are now more than 41,000 Canadian third-party selling partners, who collectively sold more than 100 million products (200 every minute) in 2021;
  • Amazon donated more than $15 million (both cash and in-kind) to community organizations across Canada in 2021, including hunger relief charities Breakfast Club of Canada (who received more than $1 million), Backpack Buddies and Food Banks Canada;
  • 12 Canadian companies have joined Amazon in signing The Climate Pledge, including Holt Renfrew and Flow;
  • The solar energy capacity of its local renewable energy projects is enough to power more than 118,000 Canadians homes for a year;
  • There were more than 3,500 participants in Amazon Career Choice, a pre-paid tuition program that provides training for high demand occupations;
  • More than 25 Amazon Original series and films were shot in Canada;
  • Amazon’s paper padded mailer is a recyclable packaging solution optimized for weight, flexibility, and impact resistance, helping reduce packaging waste in Canada.
Image: Amazon Canada

This is the company’s third impact report.

“The point that our impact report is really making is to underline how we’re part of the local community. The fact that we have more than 40,000 full and part-time employees, 69 facilities, reinforces how we’re proud to be part of the local community. But that extends to how we give back,” said Kristin Gable, Senior Manager, Communications, for Amazon Canada.

Kristin Gable

For example, she said, in 2021 Amazon Canada donated more than $15 million both cash and in-kind to Canadian charities.

“Beyond what we create, is the fact that our business is also giving back to causes that we care about.”

In its report, Amazon said it invests billions of dollars in people, resources and services that support entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey from inception to global success:

  • More than 1,000 Canadian selling partners had over $500,000 USD in sales, up 15 per cent year over year;
  • In 2021, the total sales of Canadian sellers selling in Amazon’s store increased by more than 20 per cent year over year;
  • More than 4,000 Canadian sellers had over $100,000 USD in sales, up more than 16 per cent year over year;
  • Canadian selling partners averaged over $85,000 USD in annual sales, an increase of more than 13 per cent. 
Image: Amazon Canada
Image: Amazon Canada

Amazon said it is committed to being the best place for businesses to launch and build a successful brand.

“In 2021, Amazon launched the Intellectual Property (IP) Accelerator in Canada. IP Accelerator makes it easier and more cost effective for selling partners to obtain trademarks, protect their brands, and tackle infringing goods both in Amazon’s stores and the broader marketplace. Available to any brand selling in Amazon’s stores, IP Accelerator directly connects Canadian SMB owners with a curated network of local law firms charging reduced, pre-negotiated rates on key services, giving SMBs access to expert legal and general IP advice that may otherwise be cost-prohibitive or hard to find,” it said.

“Building a brand starts with protecting your brand, and Amazon makes it easy to do that. In 2021, Amazon connected more than 5,900 sellers globally to our network of trusted law firms through IP Accelerator. Since the program’s original launch in 2019, over 12,000 brands globally have enrolled in Brand Registry through IP Accelerator.” 

“For any small business, but particularly for one like mine, whose invention is becoming increasingly popular, there is a significant risk of competitors copying or stealing your hard work and capitalizing on your growth. As a small business owner, I have many urgent day- to-day priorities that can prevent me from pursuing complicated matters like trademark protection. I am encouraged to see initiatives like IP Accelerator, which connects businesses like mine with specialized legal expertise at a reduced cost,” said Jennifer Pratt, Inventor of Seeding Square, in the Amazon Canada Impact Report.

How Sensations Draw Consumers into Stores, Retail Areas and Malls [Op-Ed]

By
Retail Insider
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Distillery District Winter Village (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

The holiday season is here, and some may plan to go shopping along local Main Streets, popular city districts, malls or to enjoy time with friends and family in restaurants.

If you plan a trip to New York or Toronto for the coming holiday, you might have places like Fifth Avenue or Yorkville on your list as destinations.

But what makes some shops different than others? What makes Fifth Avenue or Yorkville different than other streets?

How we perceive our surrounding environment depends on how we approach and explore places, our perception of time spent doing so and many other components of how a space is designed.

Do we really enjoy shopping?

Aside from finding our preferred brands in certain shops or along these major shopping streets, many of us enjoy spending time strolling those streets or in our local malls.

After all, the concept of retail therapy emerged in the 1980s and centred around getting good feelings and positive vibes from shopping in your preferred location.

Entire malls have been built as awe-inspiring or feel-good destinations, whether or not we agree that shopping itself is really something we enjoy. Is it buying merchandise that gives us a good feeling or is it more the atmosphere of the place we’re visiting?

Components of a space

In his book Questions of Perception, New York-based architect Steven Holl discusses how we perceive our surrounding environment by approaching and walking in a space (also known as circulation) and the components of that space.

According to Holl, we capture a frame of the space we are experiencing with every single step. But our experience depends on many different components, including lights, colours, textures, details, greenery and even the people around us.

All these components are merged into one single frame that forms our experience of a space.

Bayview Village Santa Experience (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Colours, light and sound

Scientific evidence shows different colours have different impacts on our moods. For instance, the colour red can increase appetite in a restaurant; that’s likely why so many seats in fast-food restaurants are in warm colours.

Similarly, green can make us feel peaceful and safe; that’s the reason behind using it in your local health-care clinic.

But colours alone won’t do the job — light is a major component in our built environment. Lighting design contributes significantly to how we perceive our environments.

Many restaurants, for example, use lighting to create an atmosphere at each table and might combine it with candles for an elevated experience. Libraries, on the other hand, provide sufficient lighting levels to desks so people can read with ease.

Ambient sounds of streets and malls

Sound is another major contributor to our perception. The sound of rain can intensify a romantic walk by the river. Similarly, you might recognize some streets by the ambient sound. We all experience this ambient sound in our local malls.

We might also experience a particular space through a specific smell. We all have the common experience of smelling perfume that reminds us of someone.

All these space components are used in shopping districts or malls to give visitors a unique experience. It’s all intended to give visitors a positive vibe that will make them return and spend time and money.

Details and materials

Details are an essential element in architecture to the extent that some brands are known simply for the unique architecture of their retail stores. A golden placard on a black background or golden linear light amid a dark ambient hue are details that can contribute to surrounding environments.

These details can expand into our malls and shopping districts to include greenery and ornamental water fountains, for example. Materials are another vital component of our built environment.

Sitting on a wooden chair feels different than sitting on a metal chair. In a similar fashion, we perceive our environments based on the materials that are used to create a space.

People wind their way through the CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Perception of time

The past and future are two concepts in our minds. The present is the reality that we continuously experience as a series of single frames through our senses. For a better understanding, think of a film that we perceive through our seven senses.

Technically, duration is the recognition of changes in that series of single frames. Duration is how we experience more than one frame.

For instance, if we walk down a long straight street, the task of walking might become arduous, resulting in thinking about why it’s taking so long to reach the destination.

In contrast, when we browse different retail stores, coffee shops and so on in a local market or mall, there are constantly changing frames. That’s why we find ourselves shopping for hours in a mall without feeling tired — and why walking for 20 minutes down a long straight street feels too long.

People make their way along a holiday-decorated Sparks Street in Ottawa in December 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

When more senses are stimulated in perceiving our surroundings, our experience is elevated, resulting in different perceptions of time.

Now we know why sometimes walking on a uninteresting street for 30 minutes might seem arduous to us, but browsing and shopping for five hours in our local shopping mall or bustling street is fun.

Details, materials, light and all other components of our built environment impact our experiences of the spaces surrounding us. These, in turn, affect our perception of time and duration.

So, next time, whether you are planning to visit your local mall or a new city, you can identify what components most impact your perception in our built environment. This can help you decide whether you want to visit a specific location again next time.

By Farzam Sepanta, PhD Candidate, Building Engineering, Carleton University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Conversation

PayPlan by RBC Makes Buy Now, Pay Later Convenient and Flexible for Retailers and Consumers Alike

By
Retail Insider
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PayPlan by RBC Makes Buy Now, Pay Later Convenient and Flexible for Retailers and Consumers Alike

RBC recently launched PayPlan by RBC, a ‘buy now, pay later’ platform that is already gaining traction with retailers and is the first such digital solution to be offered by a Tier 1 bank in Canada.

“PayPlan enables merchants to provide their customers with a simple and convenient way to pay for purchases, over time, while they get paid upfront and RBC takes all the risk,” said Neill Ashe, Senior Director Payments & Commerce at RBC. “This solution offers more options for shoppers to pay for larger items, increasing overall conversions and reducing cart abandonment.”

The pay-over-time solution is something consumers have been requesting, as it helps them confidently make larger purchases on retailer websites by spreading the cost over equal monthly payments, while knowing upfront how much – and when – they will pay. 

Image: Martin Motor Sports

Edmonton-based Martin Motor Sports offers PayPlan to their customers and says it has been good for business. “We are seeing increased sales on larger priced items and overall increased dollar per cart. By having PayPlan by RBC we are seeing positive trends in our e-commerce business,” said Troy Skinner, Parts Asset Manager at Martin Motor Sports. 

Skinner said customers are happy with the solution and Martin Motor Sports has received positive feedback on the option to pay in installments with the flexibility of choosing the repayment schedule that works best for them. He says they also appreciate that PayPlan by RBC is backed by a very trusted Canadian bank, which adds a reassuring element to the purchasing process.

Consumers simply add items to their cart and choose PayPlan by RBC in the checkout flow of any participating retailer. After a quick and simple application process, they can choose the repayment terms and monthly payment amounts, without any hidden fees. 

“RBC is focused on building stronger relationships through positive experiences. By offering PayPlan, our merchant partners can translate these positive experiences to their customers” adds Ashe. “After seeing the benefits to business and consumers, retailers are quickly signing up.” For more information, visit rbc.com/payplan.

Find out more about PayPlan on Retail Insider’s podcast interview with RBC’s Neill Ashe.

T&T Supermarket Opens First and Largest Store in Montreal with Expansion Plans for 2023 [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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T&T Supermarket Montreal (Image: T&T Supermarket)

T&T Supermarket is opening its first and largest store in Montreal as it continues to expand its footprint across the country with two more new stores opening in the New Year. 

The Montreal store is the company’s Easternmost location in Canada and 31st in the chain. 

The store is 70,000 square feet.

T&T Supermarket, under the Loblaw Companies umbrella,  is the largest Asian supermarket chain in Canada, operating stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. T&T Supermarket was founded in 1993 by Cindy and Jack Lee, who opened their first Vancouver supermarket at a time when Asian products were hard to come by in grocery stores. They named the store after their two daughters, Tina and Tiffany. It is now led by second generation successor and CEO Tina Lee and headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia.

“We are finally embarking on our adventure in Quebec in order to not only meet the Asian communities here but to offer a unique culinary experience to every Quebecer,” said Lee. “In my many visits to Québec, I have been excited to discover a rich culinary culture that combines creativity and diversity and I look forward to T&T contributing to Quebecers’ growing appetite for new culinary experiences and discoveries.”

“The first time I visited a T&T I was very impressed, and I told Tina, we HAVE to bring T&T to Quebec. Living in Montreal, I know people will love T&T’s unique fresh assortment. Seafood, kitchen and bakery are particularly outstanding and will appeal to a much wider audience. T&T is a growing part of Loblaw’s business and we’re excited to bring them to Quebec,” said Robert Sawyer, Loblaw’s Chief Operating Officer.

T&T Supermarket Montreal (Image: T&T Supermarket)

Lee said the Montreal store is materially bigger than the size of the chain’s average store at about 40,000 square feet.

The store is located in the borough of Saint-Lauren tat 300 Sainte-Croix Ave, near the intersection of Highways 15 and 40, and it will be able to serve all residents of the Greater Montreal area.

The Montreal store offers:

  • Over 20,000 products including a wide variety of fresh produce, premium fruits and gifts, live seafood, and trendy snacks;
  • Quality fresh food and products prepared and cooked in-store or sourced from across Asia;
  • Authentic Asian pastries, custom cakes, sushi bar, self-serve hot food station, barbeque station, and rare find street foods such as Asian-style crepes and pork belly buns;
  • A variety of imported beers and wines from different parts of Asia, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers sold exclusively at T&T. It’s the first and only T&T in the country to sell alcohol;
  • T&T’s full line of private label products, up to 400 items, including Asian comfort foods such as scallion pancakes and dumplings, pantry stables such as sauces and noodles, healthy snacks and kitchen accessories;
  • Health and beauty products and cosmetics that are only found in Asia and are known for their effectiveness.
T&T Supermarket Montreal (Image: T&T Supermarket)

On December 1, the company opened a new location in Sage Hill in Calgary.

It plans to open new locations at the CF Fairview Mall in Toronto and in Coquitlam in the New Year. Lee said Fairview is expected to open in a few months with Coquitlam opening in the first quarter of 2023. She said more locations are in the pipeline for the brand.

“We actually are one of the rare retailers where we can flex our store space. We’re fairly agile when it comes to the box we’re looking for. We can go as small as 30,000 square feet and as large as 70,000 square feet. So very flexible that way,” said Lee.

“Of course, we appeal to a core demographic of East Asians and so we look for a demographic pulse and certainly a growing community. We like that as well.”

CEO Tina Lee at T&T Supermarket Montreal’s Grand Opening (Image: T&T Supermarket)

Lee said the company recognizes there is a lot of pent-up demand in the Montreal market for what it offers.

“We know that customers drive three hours to their closest T&T which is in Ottawa. So often we’ll see Quebec license plates in our parking lot,” she said. 

“Montreal’s a large city and to have our first store in Montreal, we wanted to make sure that we could service as many people as we could. It’s on Montreal Island which is quite central to pull from all the boroughs around the city of Montreal.

“The other thing is, which I’m quite excited about, Montreal is a very food loving culture. We have such amazing ingredients and fresh selection and we execute really well in the in-store bakery and kitchen. All of that is going to have a wider appeal to Montrealers who really celebrate food and enjoy food, dare I say more than the rest of the country. So we built a bigger store with that in mind and we expect to have a regional draw.”

T&T Supermarket Montreal (Image: T&T Supermarket)

For example, Lee said the company made a huge investment in seafood for the Montreal store with “enough water to fill your backyard swimming pool.” There’s also a huge investment in its in-store bakery and kitchen. 

As for future stores, Lee said the company will see how things go with the launch of the  Montreal store and Atlantic Canada is a possibility. 

“That would be pretty amazing. I think one day I’d like to be there,” said Lee. 

Aritzia Debuts Expanded Yorkdale Store in Toronto, Including Adding Licensed Restaurant [Photos]

By
Dustin Fuhs
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Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)

Vancouver-based women’s fashion retailer Aritzia has debuted its renovated and expanded storefront at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The impressive retail space is now about double the size of what was there prior.

Aritzia has been a tenant in the shopping centre since 1999 — its original 5,000 square foot store relocated to a 10,000 square foot space on the North Wing of the centre several years ago. Now the store totals nearly 20,000 square feet, making it one of Aritzia’s largest.

The latest expansion comes at a time when a number of retailers at Yorkdale are renovating or relocating. GUESS, which was formerly located beside Aritzia, will be opening a new storefront in part of the former Victoria’s Secret location in the mall. Mango will also be opening in the Victoria’s Secret space, which was vacated last year.

Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)

Retail Insider reported on Aritzia’s expansion goals in September 2022, at which time Karen Janes, Executive Vice President, Real Estate boutique Development for Aritzia, shared some of the plans.

“With every expansion and opening, our goal is to provide our clients with an aspirational environment. Many of the elements and design ideas will be integrated in future boutiques in an organic way,” said Janes in the article. 

“When we think about expanding our footprint, we look at premier locations that provide us the runway to connect with both new and existing clients through engaging service, beautiful product and aspirational environments. As we look ahead, we are well-positioned and excited for continued growth through the expansion of our boutiques across both Canada and the US.”

Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)

Aritzia Yorkdale features collections from most of the brand’s extensive portfolio of sub-brands, including Wilfred, Babaton, Tna, The Super Puff™ and Sunday Best.

“Aritzia is a vertically integrated design house that delivers Everyday Luxury through engaging service, beautiful product, aspirational environments, and captivating communications. This season, Aritzia is excited to expand its Yorkdale boutique, complete with an A-OK Cafe, the brand’s signature in-house coffee shop,” said the brand.

“Yorkdale clients will also be able to enjoy the newly expanded menu which offers a selection of alcohol including wine, beer and cocktails, and small plates featuring paté, burrata and olives. A-OK Cafe further proves Aritzia’s commitment to an elevated shopping experience and Everyday Luxury.”

Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)

The expanded Yorkdale Aritzia store is one of many recent changes to Yorkdale as brands continue to open in the mall. Yorkdale is finding its place as a world-class retail destination now housing many of the world’s biggest brands, with even more said to be on the way.

Yorkdale launches more first-to-Canada international retailers than any single location, with recent additions including Diptique, Acne Studios, Ganni and the fist standalone Fendi. Luxury brands are an important part of the mix with Bulgari and Cartier having both recently expanded storefronts. Anchor Holt Renfrew, which spans about 130,000 square feet, is said to have sales in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. 

Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Aritzia)

Aritzia was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1984 and has grown to 100+ boutiques throughout North America.

Additional Images from Aritzia Yorkdale Boutique

Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
A-OK at Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
A-OK at Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
A-OK at Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
A-OK at Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
Aritzia Yorkdale (Image: Dustin Fuhs)

Walmart Canada Expanding Beauty Brand Offerings as it Gains Market Share [Interview]

By
Mario Toneguzzi
-
Walmart Canada Health & Beauty (Image: Walmart Canada)

Walmart Canada is expanding its beauty offering with additional inclusive beauty brands.

Rosslyn Barbuzzi, Senior Category Manager, Cosmetics for the retailer, said that as one of the country’s largest retailers Walmart felt it was a priority to make sure that its customers were seeing themselves in the beauty assortment. 

“We felt we had a gap versus our customers in terms of our offering. What we did in order to seek out new brands is we hosted a Beauty Summit earlier this year. It was a chance for us to meet all sorts of beauty brands. Some of them were big. Some of them were small,” she said.

“We met them virtually over the course of two days to see what else was out there that we could possibly look at to add to our assortment. And really the goal of the beauty summit was to make it easier for new, emerging and smaller beauty and skin care brands to find their products on our shelves at Walmart.

“So we looked at brands that would have a unique product offering but that were also truly inclusive at their core in terms of the actual company themselves. That led us to be able to launch several exciting new brands in-store and online. And we’ve got more coming in the New Year as well.”

Image: Walmart Canada

That will include the launch of more than 300 new products. A number of the products are women, IBPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ owned and founded.

“The products will be available in select stores just as any product that we carry today often isn’t necessarily in every store,” she said, but they will be represented in various stores across the chain and online.

“We’re constantly renovating our stores so we’re always looking to optimize our total cosmetics department and that actually has allowed us some space in order to bring in some of these new brands and products.

“When our customers are shopping at Walmart, and they’re shopping in beauty, we want them to be able to choose from some of our existing assortment which is legacy brands they know and love already but also to be surprised and delighted with some emerging brands and new offerings that maybe they can’t get anywhere else. Things that are exclusive to the market or unique product offerings that we don’t currently offer today.

“So we really wanted to make sure as we were looking for new brands and new assortments that they were truly items and brands that would create a more diverse assortment for our customers.

“Through this Beauty Summit we’re partnering with smaller brands that we historically haven’t been able to work with and that’s in part because Walmart is a large retailer, a complex retailer, to work with. So I’m really proud that we’ve actually been able to partner and work hand in hand with these smaller suppliers and in some cases this is the first time that they’re actually working with a retailer . . . We’ve collaborated with each and every one of these vendors to ensure that they’re getting the best start with us. We’re working hand in hand with them to make sure that they’re truly set up for success when working with Walmart and seeing their products come to life in stores and online with us.”

Image: Uoma by Sharon C on Walmart.ca

Some of the new products include:

  • UOMA by Sharon C. proudly Black-owned, this brand focuses on inclusive beauty beyond shade range, delivering quality to all humans. With 30 foundation shades available, the offering encompasses a variety of skin tones and undertones. The colour cosmetics, complexion and skin care products are vegan, cruelty-free and eco-friendly. Walmart is the exclusive Canadian retailer for this brand;
  • Prideful creates products that are gender non-specific, catering to the individual with pride and purpose all year long. It will be launching in-store and online at Walmart Canada with a selection of bath and colour cosmetics. Prideful will be available exclusively at Walmart Canada;
  • Lottie London offers the latest in beauty innovation with products that are inclusive, affordable and cruelty-free. Founded by industry veteran Charlotte Knight, beauty buffs can expect trend-focused cosmetics, nail products and brushes from the line. Lottie London is another Walmart Canada exclusive brand;
  • Bubble is a tea-based bath and beauty brand inspired by the bubble tea phenomenon. This women-owned cruelty-free brand launched in 2014 and is exclusively available at Walmart Canada;
  • [re]fresh Skin Therapy is a vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free brand of skin care products created by Joanna Shu and made in the USA. Founded in 2013, [re]fresh Skin Therapy focuses on creating products that work on even the most sensitive skin types with natural and environmentally friendly ingredients;
  • Apothecary by Dr. Botanicals brings vegan skin care with formulations that harness nature’s goodness, energy and vitamins to Walmart. This ethically-made line does not test on animals and focuses on creating problem-solving natural products for everyone, based in science and research. Apothecary by Dr. Botanicals is proudly LGBT and minority-owned and celebrates diversity and inclusion.
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